Firefighters and other first responders may engage in a wide variety of activities associated with different levels of risk. Frequently, responders are exposed to a variety of hazardous conditions such as flame, smoke, and high heat. Clothing used by such professionals may be designed to protect against one or more of these specific conditions in addition to being abrasion resistant, chemically resistant, and waterproof.
In efforts to minimize risk, organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) provide standards for the clothing that firefighters and other responders wear while performing various activities. By way of example, standard NFPA 1951 identifies design and performance criteria for garments that are to be used in technical rescue operations, including separate criterial for utility activities and rescue and recovery activities. Similarly, standard NFPA 1971 identifies design and performance criteria for garments that are to be used in structural firefighting, including separate criteria for structural firefighting, proximity firefighting, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) activities. When structural firefighting, responders are engaged in firefighting within enclosed spaces with excessive heat and flashover risks. The European Union has also established standard EN 469 that defines criteria for clothing worn by firefighters and other responders.